DETROIT - Tayshaun Prince will be locking down
opponents for the Detroit Pistons for years to come.
The Pistons on Monday agreed in principle on a five-year
extension with the defensive star, president of basketball
operations Joe Dumars announced.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it is reported to be
worth between $45 million and $50 million.
"We are very pleased to have reached an agreement on a contract
extension with Tayshaun Prince," Dumars said. "He's been a
valuable member of our team both on and off the floor in each of
his first three years, and I'm pleased that he will continue to
wear a Pistons' uniform through the 2010-11 season."
The Pistons had until midnight Monday to reach an extension with
the 25-year-old Prince or watch him become a restricted free
agent next summer.
The 23rd overall pick out of Kentucky in the 2002 draft, Prince
averaged career bests in points (14.7) and rebounds (5.3) in 82
games last season. He ranked fifth among small forwards in
field goal percentage and finished third in the voting for the
NBA's Most Improved Player Award.
In 206 career games, Prince has averaged 10.6 points and 3.1
rebounds.
One of the top defensive players on the perimeter, the lanky 6-9
Prince has played a major role in the Pistons reaching the NBA
Finals each of the last two years.
In 2004, Prince had a spectacular game-saving block of a
breakaway layup by Reggie Miller in Game Two of the Eastern
Conference Finals against Indiana, then helped hold Kobe Bryant
to 38 percent shooting in the Finals as the Pistons beat the Los
Angeles Lakers in five games.
A member of the 2004 NBA All-Defensive second team, Prince
became the first rookie to start a playoff game for Detroit
since Dumars in 1986 when he started Game Two of the 2003
Eastern Conference finals against New Jersey.